Higher education restructuring at Rowan University to bring major changes to academia in South Jersey

The Cooper Medical School of Rowan University opened in July 2012. The Medical and Health Sciences Restructuring Act will expand Rowan's medical sciences program by merging the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey's School of Osteopathic Medicine with Rowan University.

GLASSBORO — The academic landscape of southern New Jersey will undergo a huge transformation on Monday as parts of Rowan University, Rutgers University and UMDNJ merge under the New Jersey Medical and Health Sciences Restructuring Act of 2012.

The act calls for the state to disband the University of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) on July 1 and move control of its School of Osteopathic Medicine (SOM)in Stratford to Rowan.

Most of UMDNJ’s other assets will transfer to
Rutgers.

“It’s a new day for us,” said Dr. Thomas Cavalieri, dean of the osteopathic school. “It’s a fresh start.”

The law grants Rutgers a large portion of UMDNJ, including its medical schools in Newark and Piscataway. The act also requires Rowan to
partner with Rutgers University at Camden in the creation of a new College of Health Sciences in Camden. As a result of the reorganization, Rowan will be elevated to a research university.

“Quite frankly, with some of the challenges UMDNJ has had over the past, say, five to eight years, it has not been easy to strengthen, grow, develop and build on the foundation that has been created,” Cavalieri said. “We see this entire restructuring as a fresh start that would enable a school like ours, the School of Osteopathic Medicine, the ability to move on its strengths and move forward.”

Splitting the assets

Since the restructuring act was signed, critics have pointed out some ambiguity surrounding the imposed costs of breaking up the assets of UMDNJ and dividing them between Rowan and Rutgers.

Rowan will take on an additional 1,500 students as a result of assuming SOM, along with another 1,200 employees.

According to Rowan spokesman Joe Cardona, the university estimates that the move will cost $12 million for the first year of integration and that approximately $7 million of that has already been spent.

In addition, however, by inheriting both the School of Osteopathic Medicine and a biomedical sciences graduate program, Rowan will receive approximately $30 million in operating expenses to be transferred from UMDNJ. Cardona said those costs come from the medical college’s previous operating budget.

As a result of the UMDNJ integration, the university inherits its first Ph.D. program, the School of Osteopathic Medicine’s graduate study in biological sciences, and also becomes the first college or university in the country to sponsor two kinds of health care education — both a medical school, also called an allopathic school, and a school of osteopathy, which is based on a philosophy of wellness rather than treating disease with medicine.

Originally, the integration had sparked concerns of layoffs as the universities looked to cut down on duplicate positions.

While the law requires no employees be laid off in the first year, Rowan University President Ali Houshmand was quick to point out that the university will also hire managerial employees who are not covered as part of the act.

“We have committed to all the people who will be assigned to Rowan University through the SOM integration. For as long as they’re willing to roll up their sleeves and work very hard, there is no worry for them to lose their jobs,” said Houshmand. “We need them because this university is going to grow and we have the means to keep them.”

Impact on health care

Rowan has made a push in recent years to develop its science programs.

With the expansion into the medical sciences, the university hopes to create a larger interest in the region from outside private investors.

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates the health care employment field will increase by 29 percent over the next year, with another 16 percent growth in the life, physical and social sciences fields.

With the integration of the new Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, the college expects to increase its research and sponsored project revenue from $25 million to $100 million.

Cavalieri said the merger’s attention to medical education in New Jersey could also curb a looming problem in the state — the shortage of primary care physicians.

When the federal Affordable Care Act kicks in, primary health care will be available to 441,000 people in the Garden State for the first time.

“We are not prepared as a state to really provide the primary care for these individuals,” Cavalieri said. “The Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine will be poised to train more physicians.”

Future of medical education

The merger, in Cavalieri’s opinion, will give each part of the soon-to-be former UMDNJ “the ability to build on its strengths and move forward.”

For the school of osteopathy, “to become part of Rowan University would make us economically stronger." Cavalieri said. "It offers opportunities for us to grow along with Rowan's education and research mission.”

Already, Rowan and the SOM have seen boosts in 2013-2014 enrollment despite any perceived uncertainty over the merger.

More than 4,700 people applied for the 162 seats available for the inaugural class of Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine.

That number of applicants represents a 10 percent increase — more applicants than any other medical school in the state, Cavalieri said.